Experiencing the Swiss life in Lausanne (and around)

In the summer of 2021, during the break in the pandemic, I got a chance to spend a month in Switzerland. The country has always had an aspirational value for us Indians since a long long time – thanks to all the stunning Swiss locations in Yash Chopra movies since the 90s. I had visited Switzerland a couple of times already but hadn’t been quite impressed. But I think it is this one month stay in the country that made me completely change my view. Switzerland is a true paradise. And apart from the places to visit, it is the experience of living there that made me look at it in a different way. And a big part of that change was the stay in the city of Lausanne.

Beauty of Lausanne

Lausanne is a city of less than 140k people. It is quite city-like, with apartment buildings, too many cars, restaurants and crowds. But of course, that is not what made me like it. It is the Lake Leman next to it which adds a different dimension to the city. It has such a calming but also uplifting effect to it. It was definitely the lifeline and crown jewel of the city. The mountains nearby and the easy access to the Alps also made Lausanne even more appealing. For sure, I wasn’t initially impressed by the city, but as I discovered Lake Leman and the areas around more, the place grew on me.


The city

The train journey from Geneva to Lausanne is quite picturesque, riding through lush green hills and grand wooden chalets. You don’t see as much of the lake as I would have wanted, but its still quite scenic (at least that’s what I felt on the ride in, though after a month in Switzerland, this same ride felt quite average to me on my way out 😋). When I reached Lausanne station, I realised it was quite a metropolis, so it wasn’t going to be like being in the Swiss hills for sure. But it still turned out to be amazing.

Lausanne is located right next to Lake Leman, and the city is spread out along the mountainside, going all the way up. It is fully mountainous with no real flat parts, and so you need to trek if you want to get anywhere. This is quite tough actually, especially if you have to go up the mountain even to get groceries!

There are lots of parks and green spaces in the city. From most parts of the city, you can see the lake spread out till forever. And then across the lake, the high mountains of France dotted with small villages, the lights of these villages twinkling so dazzlingly every night. Every evening (when not raining), I used to enjoy spectacular sunset views all around, with the lake and mountains surrounding me. The air always felt refreshing as if I were on a hill station. And so even though I was in a bustling city, it felt like I was very close to nature, water and mountains. All the time.

Jean-Jacques park

I spent some evenings walking around the city, exploring all it had to offer. There were a few parks nearby where I used to go regularly, just to run, admire the summer flowers, and get some fresh air. Most of them had magnificent views of the lake. One was The Jean – Jacques Mercier promenade, which though small always took my breath away. It was a very small green patch, with some stairs and winding paths for walking. But it had stunning views of the lake and beyond. 

The other was Parc de Mon Repos, a small park near where I was staying. It was gorgeous, with many green spaces, bright blooming flowers, loads of birds and walking paths through them all, going up and down the mountain. I used to go there for my daily runs, and it helped improve my stamina as I had to run up and down all the time 😳.

Open air jazz concert

One Friday while I was passing through this park, I saw everyone settling in for an open air jazz concert. Apparently it was a free for all summer concert. And I ended up spending a few hours there just enjoying the music and ambience. The musicians were standing in front of an old building, and everyone was sitting on the grass terraces in front, with their blankets, jackets, food and drink, ready for a picnic, from afternoon to night. A lot of people from the audience decided to start dancing soon, and it turned into a festive atmosphere. Women, kids, some men – all were dancing, through the night, it was awesome. It was good to also experience the Swiss summer life which is when a lot of these local events happen.

Lausanne from Sauvabelin tower

One of the Fridays, I visited the Sauvabelin tower slightly outside of town. It was quite a trek up there and the walk was quite delightful, with some gorgeous buildings along the way. I stopped at the Signal Point to observe the sunset across the lake. And then went up the tower – it is a huge wooden structure with panoramic views around Lausanne. It was still sunset time and I caught Lausanne in quite a captivating moment. The tower gave a 360 degrees view of its spectacular surroundings and I felt like being on top of the world while I was there.

One day, I decided to walk to a park further away – Parc de la Gottettaz. And even though the distance wasn’t much, it was still quite an effort to get there as anywhere one went to in Lausanne needed one to trek. Anyways, it was a nice green open space, had a stream flowing through it and some wooded areas. There were some nice sunset scenes that evening, with the sky turning orange above the lake. And it was also a nice walk around it, especially all the grand houses in its vicinity. But I think after this park, I stopped trying to explore further off parks as I didn’t really fancy trekking daily.

On all my explorations, I was surprised to see the number of luxurious palatial houses everywhere even though it was such a mountainous city. It was a bit of a surprise to see them given how tough it would be to construct a house here, but they were quite a fascinating sight to look at. And there were so many of them, everywhere I walked. Most of them also had breath-taking views of the lake.

Lausanne skyline

The Lausanne city centre was quite crowded always. The old town has the Notre Dame cathedral towering above the city. And the views from the cathedral hill, of the other church spires as well as all the orange homes and roofs everywhere gave Lausanne quite a charming character. This was the view I had seen on Google when I had decided to stay in Lausanne.

There are many shopping streets in the city centre, some of it new, some old. There were some cute cobbled streets with the old architecture, while the others were a lot more modern. For lovers of shopping, the city centre has a lot to offer. It has loads of shops, and all types of small and big brands are available there. It was especially good for shopping for hiking gear, and I kind of splurged a bit there.

When in the shopping area, I decided to book a Tesla test ride, and took out the car for a short spin around. It was a sunny day and I loved it - driving next to the lake, the mountains on the other side, the sun above, the wind a bit chilly and Bollywood music providing the background score. I decided to drive on the smaller roads in the countryside, and drove past some vineyards which looked stunning in the sun. It felt so much like being in a Yash Chopra movie, again.

There are a few other museums and other notable places to visit in Lausanne, but I didn’t have much interest in visiting them. My aim was just to be outside in nature as much as possible, and Lausanne did offer multiple such opportunities.


Chalet de Gobet

I had a slow start to my stay in Lausanne as for the first one week, it was continuously raining. Everyday, all day. And then when it stopped raining, I was able to venture out a bit nearby. One of the first places I went to was the Chalet de Gobet as I was looking for a place to run in the woods. So I took the metro and a connecting bus, and found myself soon in the Chalet area which was a green wooded area very close to the city.

(As an aside, I must say that the Swiss train system (SBB) is awesome. The trains and buses are aligned with each other on their timing. The whole system is setup to make it very easy to get from any place to another. You can also use the SBB app to start and stop your journeys. It detects where you are and charges the right (and minimum) fare automatically. Everything is extremely well organised and convenient)

Running track

Chalet de Gobet is part of the Jorat forest in the Mauvernay area. I took the bus till the Helsana running trails, which have multiple walking and running paths of different lengths. It was a wooded area with huge green trees and some grasslands. There were many routes, and they were setup for hikers, mountain bikers and runners. The routes also had some outdoor exercising setups on the way. The paths were all well marked. I partly ran and partly walked in the woods. It was a lovely evening out and a good place to run, with the light blue sky, the verdant trees and such a convenient way to get there and back.


Lake Leman

Lake Leman is the heart of Lausanne, and what a pulsating heart it is. The lake extends from Geneva to Montreux, with Lausanne being somewhere in the middle, all on the north side of it. The south side is the French side, and has many villages along it. As Lausanne is spread out on the mountainside next to the lake, you can see the lake from just about anywhere. And this is what adds most to the charm of the city.

Most of the times, I would walk down to the lake, but take the metro or bus back as it was quite an effort walking back up the city at the end of a long walk (I must say, living in a mountainous city is tough, where going anywhere is a trek up. So tiring)

All along the lake, there are pedestrian pathways for people to walk. In the city, the lake front has a lot of activity going on during summer, plus loads of restaurants lining it. A lot of the famous landmarks of Lausanne, like the Olympic park and museum are also along the lake. Away from the city, the feel becomes more resort-ish, especially in the areas of Lutry and Pully which are so fascinating to explore. They are quieter, less crowded and more relaxed than being in the city. And it was being here which I loved the most during my stay in Lausanne.

My first time along the lake was when after heavy rains for a few days, I decided to explore the lake at night during a rain break. I walked from my place to the lake, through the city and was shocked to see the whole city had gone to sleep at 9 pm! It was all quite empty by then already and most of the lights were off too. The walk along the lake felt extremely refreshing, with the French lights twinkling on the other side of the lake, the sounds of the waves in the air, and the street lamps showing the way. It was a good prelude to what was to come.

During the day, the place came alive with runners, walkers, children, hawkers and anything else you expect in a European summer. I walked towards the city sometimes - from the Olympic park and museum, towards the centre. It was a joy always to walk along the lake, especially when the sun was shining. People would be swimming in the water when it was sunny. And I spent many an evening walking and experiencing this path after work. It was also busier this side of the walk, with lot of boats lining the waterfront, lot of people enjoying the sun and many restaurants trying to get their clientele back after corona.

Sunset from La Lido

One of the days, I kept walking all the way till Theatre de Vidy, through some crowded and some not so crowded areas. The area was quite active, with loads of people picnicking next to the lake. There was also a strong smell in this area which was quite surprising. I walked past the green areas into a row of restaurants and had dinner at La Lido. It was one of the rare times I ate out in Lausanne given the pandemic was still on. But it was definitely worth it. It felt amazing to eat and watch the day set across the lake, slowly, from sunlight to twilight to twinkling lights. I just sat and enjoyed the scene for a long while, while enjoying my meal. I also enjoyed the music some locals artists were playing on the promenade between the restaurant and the lake.

On the way to Lutry

One of the sunny afternoons, I decided to walk along the lake in the other direction, from the Olympic park, through Pully to Lutry. And what an extraordinary find that whole walk turned out to be (surprisingly no one had mentioned it to me at all even when I asked people and checked online about things to do in Lausanne!). I started walking along the lake, and passed by beaches, small parks for kids, countless small and big restaurants (especially floating ones), gorgeous grand houses, rows of parked boats and yachts, beautiful flowers, lashing waves, vineyards, and so on, forever.

Boats parked along the walk

The sounds of the waves provided a background sound to all the walks. People were everywhere, swimming, sailing, doing water activities, picnicking and so one, totally making the most of the sun and warmth. On the one side, I could see the French Alps and villages. And far off, the vineyards along the cliffs of Lavaux. It was like the senses kept on getting hit by more and more spectacular scenes at every turn. It was like being in paradise. I kept walking till I came to an open music concert on the waterfront. I sat there for a while, enjoying the open air performance, and then walked back. The day felt like I had been transported to a different world altogether, to paradise. It helped that the day was sunny and warm. It was magical.

Vineyards far away

And I kept coming back here so many times, to feel the same again and again. Sometimes I would walk, and sometimes I did my daily runs along the stretch from Lausanne to Lutry. And every visit felt as refreshing as the first time. I had even figured out my favourite restaurants at the end of the walk where I had a meal every time (near the open air music concert location).

After watching others swim in the lake on every warm and sunny day, I finally felt brave enough to do the same and it felt amazing. Swimming in a natural lake, with the Alps and French villages far off, the water being a bit chilly, and being able to swim completely freely – it’s an experience I haven’t had for a while. The water felt cold for a few seconds and then it was bliss to be there, with the sun above you warming you. It was truly exhilarating.

Jumping into the lake

I also saw loads of old people swimming in the lake, and one of the days, I felt the average age of the people there was 85! My last days in Lausaane, I even tryied jumping into the water from one of the dive stands and I think it was definitely a highlight for me - it felt so liberating that I did it a few more times. And after the jumps and swims, I again went and ate dinner at the same place in Lutry 😊.

One of the days, I sat on a jutting boat landing which was near an open air floating restaurant. I just sat there watching the sunset and enjoying the music from the restaurant. The ducks were swimming, the waves were lashing, the sun was setting. And I was floating. I had so many such moments, such pleasant memories by the lake. It was so awesome to just be able to go to the lake every day, I finally understood why Europeans take a long summer off and go and live somewhere else. It’s amazing to experience living at such a fabulous place for so long.


Montreux

On my first weekend in Lausanne, the weather on Sunday was not-so-rainy, so I decided to get out of Lausanne, and visit Montreux, a small town at the other edge of the lake. It is famous for the popular jazz festival that happens in summer. And also for Charlie Chaplin (and a few other famous celebrities) who made this town their residence for a while. I for one wanted to spend time on the mountains, so I didn’t explore the town much, and spent my time high up or next to the lake.

Lake from up above

I took the train from Lausanne to Montreux, which was a picturesque ride right next to the lake. I had to get off at Vevey though, another small town on the lake and take the bus from there as the train wasn’t running any further. As I got to Montreux, I decided to go up the Rochers de Naye peak and got onto a mountain train going up the mountain. It was another stunning ride, through the hillside and small alpine villages. Slowly, we got above the clouds and into the fog. And whenever the fog cleared, we got some stunning views of the cities and the lake below. We passed by some cute little villages on the way up. Interestingly, the fare up to the villages was low. But one stop after that, the mountain train got quite expensive suddenly.

On the Jaman trek

I was planning to go up all the way to Rochers de Naye peak and trek down from there, but because of the recent rains, some of the trails were closed. So I got down at one of the earlier stops, called Paccot. We then trekked along the mountain all the way till the Jaman stop. It took us about 2 hours to cover the 7 kms around the mountain. On the way, there were some stunning alpine scenes, with small lakes here and there. There were loads of wildflowers everywhere along the mountain. We passed some via ferrata spots which is quite popular in Switzerland as an adventure sport.

It was still a rainy day, so the grass was green and fresh. And the clouds were down in the mountains. It was quite a nice way to start my exploration of the Swiss Alps. Small and sweet. In between, I also bought some cheese at a local farmers store, whose cows were grazing nearby. And towards the end of the trek, we could also see the lake from the top. We got to the Jaman station and took the same mountain train back.

Montreux lake walk

After coming back from the trek, I decided to walk along the lake towards Chillon Castle as it was extremely sunny down in town, unlike the fogginess on the mountains. It was a nice walk and had a resort-ish feel to it. Maybe that’s why, this walk is known as the Swiss Riviera. I walked through the waterfront which was lined with gorgeous flowers and full of people. Everyone was out enjoying the sun. Although the temperature was still chilly, it almost felt as cheerful as summer. And even though corona numbers were low, I still avoided crowded areas and wasn’t happy to see so many people around😊.

Swiss Riviera

As I walked further, the scenery changed to luxurious houses in the hills and cute boats parked along the walk. I also walked past some vineyards on the hillside.

 

 

Chillon Castle

As I continued walking, I reached the Chillon Castle. It’s a small one, but its location definitely makes it more picturesque. There were loads of people swimming in the lake there but I couldn’t have done it myself given how cold I was already feeling. One can keep walking all along the lake till the Rhone delta, but I turned back from the castle and walked all the way back to the city. And then took the train back home to Lausanne. It had turned out to be quite an active and pretty day out, and I slowly started to like Switzerland😊.


Lavaux vineyards

This has to be one of my best days spent around Lausanne. I had had two extremely strenuous weekends hiking continuously for days, so the weekend after I decided to just take it easy. The easy day ended up being a 20 km walk in the mountains😊. But that is what Switzerland does to you – makes you more active, and walking in the mountains a part of life itself.

Walk along the lake

I took the same lakeside train I took to Montreux, till Vevey and then started walking all the way back to Lausanne. Vevey felt like a nice little town on the lake, lazy and relaxed. I walked a bit around the waterfront there and then went up the mountains to Corseaux. There are lots of vineyards on the mountainside along the way and the aim was to walk through them. I walked up the mountain, and after that it was quite flat, walking through the vineyards.

On the Lavaux trail

And the next few hours were like a dream. It was sunny and warm. The lake was visible from the top, extending till forever. There were loads of sailboats on it, given the sun and wind were there. I kept walking through bright green vineyards, passing by some gorgeous chateaus every few mins. And lot of adorable small villages on the way, who had their own charming architecture. The walk had gradual ups and downs, so it wasn’t strenuous. I kept plucking a few green or black grapes from the vineyards and eating them on the way. In a while, I had figured out how to identify and pick the tastier ones of lot. There was some wind too, to make the whole experience like the Yash Chopra movies😊.

Vineyards

My friend met me midway in the village of St Saphorin. It felt like an old French village and was so cute and ancient. We saw a wedding happening there. And we kept walking along the trail through the vineyards. Interestingly we were looking for a place to have lunch but all the places on the way were already closed by 2pm! We found a great restaurant in the vineyards with a fantastic view but there was another wedding happening there. So we had to walk quite a bit and then found a small place all the way down next to the lake near the village of Rivax where we could finally get a bite. And then we had to walk up again all the way back to be in the vineyards up in the mountains.

We had earlier planned to walk a lot less, but then kept following the path all the way to Lutry, my favourite place in the city😊. We had dinner at the same place as I had had a meal many times before. And thus the day in the vineyards ended. It was so magical, its tough to explain. It was just like flying in the air, with vineyards, greenery and the lake all around you. What a day!


Impressions of Switzerland

Lausanne was my home for the month, so my thoughts about how it would be to live in Switzerland are based on just this one city. A few musings

• Adventure sports are a big part of the Swiss way of life - trekking, mountain biking, via ferrata, paragliding, swimming in the lake and so on. It felt like everyone was active all the time. And it didn’t even feel like a big deal for them. I felt that the Swiss just ran up the mountains, not walk😊. Also the elderly were quite active, much more than other countries. I saw so many locals in their 70s and 80s being as active as me, hiking up mountains, swimming in the lake and so on. It was quite impressive and inspirational to see that.
• If you are into hiking, its good to use the local app – Switzerland mobility. It is quite customised for Switzerland. Also if you are looking for activities to do, check myswitzerland.com
• The Swiss transport system is brilliant. The SBB app is easy to use. I used the 50% discount card and it helped make travel more reasonable. The whole transport system is interconnected and very dependable. The intercity travel is fast and the mountain trains gorgeous. The metro in Lausanne was also very comfortable, especially when coming from the lake up the mountain where I lived
• Recycling is a big part of the Swiss way of life. Everything needs to go in a different trash bin – compost, plastic, coloured glass, white glass, aluminium foil, paper, cardboard and so on. It’s a never ending list. It helps that everything you use has a sign telling you which bin to put it into! And its bleddy complicated. But once you get it, it feels like such an easy and environmentally friendly thing to do. It becomes part of your system and you wonder why other countries don’t do the same? I really respect Switzerland and its people for doing this
• I found people quite friendly throughout my stay. So many times, someone would start chatting and telling me about their country. On the treks, on the streets, and so on. I hung out with a family during the Swiss national day celebrations in Geneva, who were quite mixed actually - Swiss father, his Peruvian wife, their son, and his Mongolian wife. A Swiss woman sitting on my table had helped me understand the French songs they were singing on Swiss National day on a boat party I attended. A group I met in Lutry when the open air concert was going on, another group while hiking in Montreux, a Maldivian woman when swimming in Lutry and so on. I really liked that. Maybe only the Italians can beat so much friendliness in Europe
• I felt that Swiss people follow rules too much. Really too much. To the point where it doesn’t make sense. This was something I don’t think I can ever get used to. I feel rules should be followed when they make logical sense, not just because they exist. So the Dutch way of living is more my kind than the Swiss😉

Leaving

Lake Leman

Leaving Lausanne felt tough. I had got so used to mind-blowing beauty and ever present freshness around me. All the time. And also mountains😊. And Lake Leman. Its expansiveness really felt liberating, ever so often. But anyways I had to come back to Amsterdam, which was cloudy and gloomy the day I landed. And for a few days, the beauty of Amsterdam felt nothing as compared to what I had left behind. But of course, soon I was back to appreciating Amsterdam too. But the month in Switzerland will always stay with me as this magical period in life, when as they say in Bollywood ‘Ji li maine zindagi’😊.

Other Switzerland posts from this stay

Mountains of Zermatt

Mountains of Grindelwald

Summer weekend in Geneva